Rail-joint.



No. 705,885. Patented luly 29, |902.

V. L. TRUXALL.

RAIL JOINT.

(Application led Feb. 18, 1902.)

(No Nadel.)

v l I lm fw?" mh w 'h2 IWW" 'IW '"1 Ir ET. f2-J llllulnmzzuun UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VICTOR L. TRUXALL, OF LATROBE, PENSYLVANIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters raten@ No. 'massa-dated July 29, 1902. Application filed February 18, 1902. VSerial No. 94,614. (No model.)

useful improvements in railjoints,and relates more particularly to that class wherein the use of nuts and bolts is entirely dispensed with. 1

The invention has for its object the provision of a device of theabove-desc'ribed character that will be extremely simpleA in construction, strong, durable, comparatively inexpensive,- and highly efficient in itsuse.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, andspeciically pointed out in the claims. Y

In describing the invention in detail reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiicatiomand wherein like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views,in which- Figure l is a perspective -view of my improvements. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the male member. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the female member. Fig. 4 is an end view of the male member. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the female member.

In the drawings the reference-numeral 1 represents the male members, lcarrying enlarged web portions 2. The end of said male member of the rail is provided with a hook 3, the body portion of which is in an approximately horizontal plane' and carrying at its outer enda downwardly-extending portion 4. The inner edge of the said-portionle is straight and its opposite edge beveled to form a wedge-shaped end, as will be understood by reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings.V The female rail member'is indicated by the reference-numeral 5 and likewise carries the enlarged web portion 6, in which is formed the horizontally-disposed recess 7 to receive the hook portion 3 of the male member. This recess 7 is considerably 'wider than the hook and communicates at itsrear end with the vertically-disposedcontracted portion 8, in which the hook member is securely seated.

It will be seen that by bringing the two ends of the rails together the same will be easily joined without the necessity of placing the rails at an angle to one another, but simply bringing them together, allowing the hook member to enter the enlarged recess 7 and then to be forced downwardly into the recess 8,.forming aperfect joint between the rails.

The many4 advantages obtained bythe use' of my improved rail-joint will be readily apparent from the foregoing description, taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings.

It will be noted that various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing fromthe general spirit of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A rail-joint comprising abutting rail-sections each having the ends of their web portions enlarged, a centrally-arranged hook formed integral with one end of one of the rails, said hook having a horizontally-disposed body portion formed integral with the web and being of the same thickness thereof, said body portion of the hook being located considerably below the head of the rail, carrying at its outer end a downwardly-curved extension having one of its edges beveled, the other of said sections formed in its abutting edge with a centrally-arranged horizontallydisposed enlarged recess adapted to normally receive the body portion of the said hook, said recess communicating at its rear end with a vertically-disposed contracted openinggextending through the rail-base and `adapted to receive the said downwardly-curved extension, substantially as described. v

.In testimony whereofV I afxlmy'signature in the presence of two witnesses.

VICTOR L. TRUXALL.

Witnesses:

JOHN NOLAND, E. E. POTTER. 

